The evidence laid before the Committee is stark, unambiguous, and profoundly troubling. It reveals a pattern of racism, discrimination, and systemic neglect that has left an entire ethnic community feeling abandoned within its own country. The findings speak to a pervasive lack of hope among Travellers - an erosion of trust that has taken root after generations of unequal treatment and unmet commitments. This report does not simply outline policy failures; it exposes the human cost of those failures. The disparities in health outcomes, the disproportionate burden of mental ill health, and the lived experiences shared with the Committee all point to a crisis that can no longer be met with incremental or symbolic responses. The status quo has already inflicted too much harm. A radical change of direction from government departments, State agencies, and public services is now urgently required. Only a coordinated, sustained, and accountable shift in approach will begin to reverse the serious hardships faced by Travellers in Ireland. This must include meaningful engagement with Traveller organisations, culturally appropriate service provision, and a recognition - finally - of the dignity, identity, and rights of the Traveller community.

17. Recommendations on Substance Abuse
17.1 Assess the rate of overprescribing and over the counter drug abuse via disaggregated healthcare data
17.2 Provide Traveller specific addiction support services.

P.26 Substance Abuse
Exchange House delivers a number of addiction services in tandem with other mental health and community services. Some of its addiction services are run in prisons, where those affected by the criminalisation of drug use are most in need of support, including one for women in the Dóchas Centre. These clinics provide emotional and practical support, advocacy relating to Tusla, support with accommodation and social welfare, individual counselling, EMDR trauma therapy, relapse prevention work and culturally specific group work. They also have two part-time addiction counsellors funded through a local drugs task force, one of whom has co-developed the first Traveller-led crack cocaine recovery programme. Pavee Point noted that in advance of their upcoming research project, they can confidently say that substance and illicit drug use in the Traveller community has dramatically increased in recent years. This is in relation to both illegal drugs and the abuse of prescription drugs. The issue overlaps with mental health and is exacerbated by a lack of adequate investment in counselling and drug treatment services both for Travellers and the general public. Drug treatment services are also institutions where racism against Travellers impacts their ability to access and benefit from services. Pavee Point highlighted a need for an ethnic identifier to capture data from the National Drug Treatment Service to assess the scope of addiction issues among Travellers, especially women and young people, two vulnerable groups of particular concern. Overprescribing and polydrug abuse relating to benzodiazapines are significant issues found by the Pavee Point research into Traveller drugs use nationally, including the abuse of overthe-counter medication. 

P.47 Report on Travellers’ Experience of the Justice System 6 November 2024: 

11. The Committee recommends that those convicted of the offence of drug possession and those offenders who suffer from drug addiction are diverted to drug counselling programmes rather than the prison system where possible.  

18. The Committee recommends that a purpose-built, rehabilitation facility is constructed for women who have been convicted of minor and drug-related offences to divert from committal to high-security prisons such as Limerick Female Prison and the Dóchas Centre.

19. The Committee endorses the recommendations of the interim report of the Joint Committee on Drugs Use, in particular recommendation 40 which references the need for increased provision of suitable support for Travellers and members of other minority communities.

P.21 The UCD researchers that came before the Committee noted that Travellers may not be aware that certain lifestyle factors such as alcohol and overweight function as risk factors for illnesses such as cancer. Other witnesses explained the ways in which modifying lifestyle-based risk factors may seem futile amidst such disproportionately high mortality rates from cancer, suicide and even infant mortality.